http://www.usaid.gov/press/factsheets/ Recent Speeches and Testimony from the U.S. Agency for International Development. http://www.usaid.gov/images/main/usaid_logoh.jpg http://www.usaid.gov en-us http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification webmaster@info.usaid.gov webmaster@info.usaid.gov http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp081001.html http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp081001.html All three agencies can take pride in our collective track record and accomplishments in delivering humanitarian assistance, advancing peace and security, promoting the rule of law and good governance, investing in the well-being of Africa's people in times of crisis and in times of peace, and spurring economic growth on the continent. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:53:28 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080917.html http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080917.html In these past five years, Doing Business has produced a goldmine of accomplishments. There is the groundbreaking work on the impact of business regulations on women, we addressed last year. This year, USAID has set aside one million dollars to advance understanding in this area through our Office of Women in Development and the Economic Growth Office. I look forward to sharing the results of this new initiative, but I'll save that for now. Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:25:52 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080828.html http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080828.html President Kikwete, it is a pleasure and an honor to welcome you to the Ronald Reagan Building and the headquarters of the United States Agency for International Development. The leadership that you have provided to your country is no small factor in Tanzania's success. Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:51:49 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080821.html http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080821.html And there are two main messages that I've been sending today, in addition to the one that you all know, which is that we as the United States government stand as friends, with a vigorous and ongoing humanitarian assistance to the people and the government of Georgia, and that we are working as a team: diplomacy, development and defense. And I called on Russia for allowing the IDPs to return home. This is the time for them to be able to return home. And second, I called for full access to all humanitarian teams as well as for the assessment teams for both humanitarian as well as reconstruction assistance. Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:33:00 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080724.html http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080724.html Captive Nations Week was first observed in 1959, at a time when Soviet Communism seemed ascendant. Few people at that first gathering could have envisioned then what the -- that the Cold War would end the way it did -- with the triumph of the shipyard workers in Poland, a Velvet Revolution in Prague, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the peaceful collapse of the Soviet Union. Captive Nations Week is a chance for us to reflect on that remarkable history, and to honor the brave dissidents and democracy activists who helped secure freedom's victory in the great ideological struggle of the 20th century. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:09:26 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080715.html http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080715.html We would be confident that we seized the moment by reaching a new consensus in international development, to work together in ways we never have before -- in a spirit of genuine consultation. A new consensus among the larger community of development experts and partners, corporations and contractors, entrepreneurs, NGOs, foundations, the Congress, and the federal government as a whole. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:17:28 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/ty080715.html http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/ty080715.html >Since Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, USAID has worked with the people of Zimbabwe to overcome many obstacles on the path to progress. Our commitment to this goal remains strong. Today, our programs provide critical support for the people of Zimbabwe's desire for peaceful democratic change, while sustaining crucial legal, medical, health, food and other humanitarian assistance to the millions of innocent victims of the regime's violence and mismanagement. In the midst of the current, most severe crisis facing the people and friends of Zimbabwe, we remain optimistic about the country's long-term potential and its prospects for positive change. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:25:26 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/ty080716.html http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/ty080716.html Our food assistance programs have to be more efficient and targeted than ever. In fiscal year 2007, USAID provided more than 2 million metric tons of P.L. 480 Title II commodities, worth $1.87 billion, that reached an estimated 41 million beneficiaries in 56 countries around the world. In Sudan alone, more than 350,000 metric tons of food commodities, valued at $356 million, were provided to an estimated 6.4 million beneficiaries. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:49:28 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080711.html http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080711.html The U.S. has already spent over $1.1 billion for Kosovo's development, and we will pledge more today. Our commitment is for the long-term. U.S. assistance will support implementation of the provisions of the Ahtisaari Plan, helping Kosovo transition from international administration to self-rule. We remain focused on building capacity within Kosovo's nascent institutions. To that end, the United States is pledging more than $400 million - $ 402.9 million, to be precise - in assistance to Kosovo. This total includes funds already appropriated by our Congress, as well as funds requested in the Administration's Fiscal Year 2009 Budget request, submitted to Congress earlier this year. Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:19:06 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080618.html http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080618.html We are here to report on the International Conference for Support of Afghanistan. It was held June 12th in Paris, and it was a clear and resounding success. The donors pledged between $20 and $21 billion in continued assistance to the rebuilding of Afghanistan. The figures nearly double the amount that was achieved in the London conference in 2006. Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:58:14 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080617.html http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080617.html All of you - the region's mayors and local authorities - play a vital role in building democratic citizenship and trust in local governments, as well as in promoting the health, education and economic well-being of citizens throughout the region. You are the frontlines of democracy; and often the only contact that citizens have with government officials. Your local efforts interface with the vast majority of citizens. Whether the services provided are as basic as registration of a birth or a business, local governments are the first responders. It therefore should not come as a surprise that the AmericasBarometer 2006 surveys ranked municipal governments among the most trusted democratic institutions in the region. Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:38:00 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080517_2.html http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080517_2.html And, I understand that, at least one machine, was partially given by the American people through the U.S. Agency for International Development. We would like to encourage more business, so that there is more opportunity and more prosperity and more jobs in Kosovo. Tue, 20 May 2008 09:16:08 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080517_1.html http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080517_1.html I believe strongly in small businesses as a way to generate prosperity for Kosovo. What is interesting in this process is that the seedlings will be less expensive, more available and they will grow more quickly. Thus, it creates employment for people who are growing these plants and want to sell the produce as well as employment here. Operating the machine and tending to the machine are all skills that can be used in the business sector. Tue, 20 May 2008 09:11:44 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080517.html http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080517.html The first agreement we will sign today is an addition to the existing U.S.-Kosovo Fulbright program. We agree with the Minister that education is an absolute priority for Kosovo. The American people, through many different programs, have helped education in Kosovo in a variety of ways in the past. Tue, 20 May 2008 09:11:44 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080516.html http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080516.html This is my first visit to Kosovo, but we have long been partners, since the opening of our first office in 1996 in Pristina. Those were different times, difficult times, and today is a new time with new challenges. In looking at these challenges, I particularly want to focus on the importance of small and medium size enterprises as places for job growth, and the importance of rule of law and education, as the essential basis for Kosovo's future. Tue, 20 May 2008 09:06:30 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/ty080514.html http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/ty080514.html We are in the midst of a global food crisis unlike other food crises we have faced; one not caused by natural disasters, conflict or any single event such as drought. It is not localized-instead it is pervasive and widespread, affecting the poor in developing countries around the world. Wed, 14 May 2008 09:58:15 -0500 http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080508.html http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2008/sp080508.html The United States Agency for International Development has allocated $3.5 - pardon me - $3.25 million in initial assistance to date. This is initial assistance, let me underline that, for this relief effort. The assistance will be allocated by the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team, what we call DART. It is currently prepositioned in Bangkok and awaiting permission to enter Burma. We are urgently requesting visas. Fri, 09 May 2008 11:48:43 -0500